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Stress snacking is a real thing. And in the United States, many are turning to food to cope, according to the International Food Information Council's 2022 Food and Health Survey.
“We’ve all heard of 'eating our feelings,' but the metaphor is anything but a joke,” noted Ali Webster, International Food Information Council Director of Research and Nutrition Communications. “Most Americans (56%) report feeling ‘very’ (22%) or ‘somewhat’ (34%) stressed over the past six months,” she added. Younger generations are more likely to say they’re “very stressed,” with 33% of Gen Z, 29% of Millennials and 25% of Gen X saying so, compared with just 10% of Boomers. Many Americans are turning to food in order to cope: about 1 in 4 (24%) of adults said they always or often eat when they’re feeling stressed.
The top areas where Americans have made changes to reduce or manage stress include sleep (41%), exercise (40%), mental health (30%) and diet/nutrition (30%). Among those who made changes to diet/nutrition, the most common changes are trying to eat healthier (54%), focusing on healthy behaviors instead of weight loss (38%) and following a specific eating pattern or diet (37%).
Emotions may also be contributing to a snacking boom. About three-quarters (73%) of adults in 2022 said they snack at least once a day, up a stunning 15% in just one year (58% in 2021). Not surprisingly, people who reported feeling very stressed (29%) in last six months are more likely to snack three or more times a day than those who are only somewhat stressed (10%).
Snacking preferences shift throughout the day. Morning snackers prefer fruit (43%), while those who snack in the evening gravitate toward savory/salty snacks (40%); candy, chocolate, and other treats (38%); and cookies, cake, and ice cream (37%).
A New Era of Eating Patterns?
One of the most significant upticks in the 2022 survey was the number of Americans who reported following a diet or eating pattern, which soared 13% in the past year alone (39% in 2021 vs. 52% in 2022), driven primarily by consumers under age 50. The most common diets or eating patterns in 2022 included clean eating (16%), mindful eating (14%), calorie-counting (13%) and plant-based (12%).
While the number of those who diet or follow an eating pattern jumped, the top motivations for doing so remained the same as 2021: protecting long-term health (35%) and losing weight (34%). Weight loss/weight management is also on the minds of many who are seeking health benefits from foods, beverages or nutrients: 30% of survey takers reported looking to achieve this benefit from their food and beverage choices, narrowly edging out the number looking seeking benefits related to digestive/gut health (29%), cardiovascular/heart health (28%) and improved sleep (26%). The most highly sought-after health benefit, however, was improved energy and less fatigue (37%).
Nearly 1 in 3 (31%) said they’ve been eating more protein from whole-plant sources this year, with other increases including people reporting consuming more soy-based milk/yogurt (18%) and other plant-based dairy alternatives (23%).
Then there’s this: We’ve all wished we could take a magical pill as a shortcut to better health. Indeed, the overall number of adults who said they would rather take medication than change their lifestyle shot up 22% from 2012 to 2022 (16% vs. 38%) — and the younger the consumer, the more likely they were to seek that shortcut. About half (49%) of adults ages 18–34 in 2022 said they would choose the medication, a massive increase of 35% from 10 years ago. The reason for this shift isn’t entirely clear, though increases in prescription medication and dietary supplement use over the past decade, coupled with a rise in direct-to-consumer medical marketing, may be a major contributor.